Dodo
Episode 4.7 }} Dodos were flightless birds, famously known for becoming extinct in the 16th century, due to humans, dogs and rats. Facts The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Related to pigeons and doves, it stood about a metre tall, weighing about 20 kilograms (44 lb), living on fruit and nesting on the ground. The dodo has been extinct since the mid-to-late 17th century. It is commonly used as the archetype of an extinct species because its extinction occurred during recorded human history, and was directly attributable to human activity. The adjective phrase "to be as dead as a dodo" means undoubtedly and unquestionably dead, whilst the phrase "to go the way of the dodo" means to become extinct or obsolete, to fall out of common usage or practice, or to become a thing of the past. In Primeval Helen escapes from custody at the Home Office by taking the team to an anomaly in the Matchroom Stadium, warning that a pride of Smilodon will come through. She uses this to escape to a Spaghetti Junction. The only threat the team has to deal with is a flock of dodos. At least two of the dodos are carrying deadly parasites capable of infecting humans. Unknown to the team, Connor's friends Tom and Duncan capture one of the dodos, but when Tom is infected by the parasite and goes on the rampage, biting one paramedic in the process. Cutter and the team cure the paramedic, but Tom was not as lucky. Some Dodos appeared through an anomaly via the Spaghetti Junction. They were all returned, except for two, one died after a Parasite left its body a second was stolen by Connor Temple's friends, Duncan and Tom, Duncan initally believes they turned Connor into a Turkey, they also theorise that the Dodos may have been Cloned. This Dodo also carried the Parasite and passed it on to Tom. After the Parasite left the Dodo the bird died. (Episode 1.4) When Lester asks Danny for Helen Cutter's status after his mission, he replies "Dead as a Dodo". (Episode 4.7) Discovery and Etymology The first descriptions of the bird were made by the Dutch. They called the Mauritius bird the walghvogel ("wallow bird" or "loathsome bird") in reference to its taste. Although many later writings say that the meat tasted bad, the early journals only say that the meat was tough but good, though not as good as the abundantly available pigeons. The name walgvogel was used for the first time in the journal of vice-admiral Wybrand van Warwijck who visited the island in 1598 and named it Mauritius. The etymology of the word dodo is not clear. However, there is a consensus that the name is probably pejorative. Some ascribe it to the Dutch word dodoor for "sluggard", but it probably is related to dodaars ("knot-arse"), referring to the knot of feathers on the hind end. The first recording of the word dodo or dodaerse is in captain Willem van Westsanen's journal in 1602, but it is unclear whether he was the first one to use the word dodo, because before the Dutch, the Portuguese had already visited the island in 1507, but did not settle permanently. According to Encarta Dictionary and Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, "dodo" comes from Portuguese doudo (currently doido) meaning "fool" or "crazy". However, the present Portuguese name for the bird, dodô, is taken from the internationally used word dodo. The Portuguese word doudo or doido may itself be a loanword from Old English. Yet another possibility is that dodo was an onomatopoeic approximation of the bird's own call, a two-note pigeony sound like "doo-doo". In 1606 Cornelis Matelief de Jonge wrote an important description of the dodo, some other birds, plants and animals on the island. Trivia *Out of all the creature incursions, the Dodos are the most recently extinct. Having became extinct in the 17th century whilst most of the others died out millions of years ago. *This is the second bird to appear in Primeval. Gallery Episode1.4 24.jpg|Claudia Brown Tries to capture a Dodo Episode1.4 25.jpg|The Dodo eats the camera Episode1.4 26.jpg|Nick Cutter with the Dodos Episode1.4 27.jpg|The Dodo goes back through the anomaly Episode1.4 29.jpg|Stephen and Nick examine a dead Dodo Episode1.4 30.jpg|The parasite comes out of the Dodo's mouth Episode1.4 36.jpg|The Dodo attacks a lightbulb Promotional Images Dodo.jpg Dodos.jpg External Links *Dodo on the BBC America site *Dodo on the Watch site Category:Birds Category:Holocene creatures Category:Series 1 Creatures Category:Creatures Category:Featured Articles